Late Friday night, The Houston Chronicle reported Nene and the Rockets had agreed on a four-year, $15 million deal. It appears that is no longer the case.
NBA free agency 2017: Nene’s deal with Rockets fell apart, and he now he’s a free agent again
Houston couldn’t offer Nene a four-year deal thanks to the new Over 38 rule. That’s a $4 million reduction in salary from what they had reportedly agreed to.
Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images
Houston isn’t allowed to offer Nene a four-year deal because of the newly implemented Over 38 rule. The fourth year of the deal would extend past Nene’s 38th birthday, which isn’t allowed under the new CBA — a nuance NBPA president Chris Paul fought for, only to opt-into his contract with the Clippers and accept a trade to the Rockets.
Instead, the Rockets can only offer Nene a three-year deal worth $10.9 million, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The $4 million drop in salary disappointed Nene, according to The Undefeated’s Marc Spears, and the veteran big man is “back at square one in free agency.”
At age 34, Nene averaged 9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds on 62 percent shooting as mid-range-and-in scorer off the bench for the Rockets, who posted the NBA’s third-best record last season.
See More:
